Vehicle spring gear



06:. 2a, was. A. ma mas ET AL PRING GEAR VEHICLE 3 Filed Nov. 13,, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Oct 26, 1925. I 1,558,387

L. A. mcamwm ET AL.

VEHI CLE S PRINVG GEAR Filed Nov. 13, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Oct. 20, 1925.

UNITED STATES LOUIS A. MORINES AND JAMES T. HARCI-IARIK, OF WILKES-BARBIE, PENNSYLVANIA.

PATENT OFFICE.

VEHICLE SPRING GEAR.

Application filed November 13, 1924. Serial No. 748,700.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, LOUIS A. MORINES and JAMES T. HARCHARIK, citizens of the United States, residing at Wilkes-Barre, in the county of Luzerne and State of Penn sylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Vehicle Spring Gears, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to certain improvements in vehicle spring gears and has relation more particularly to a device of this general character especially designed and adapted for use in connection with the wellknown Ford automobile, and it is an object 7 of the invention to provide a device of this general character which may be readily applied without the necessity of any material structural changes being .made in the chassis or axle of the vehicle. a

It is also an object of the invention to provide a novel and improved device of this kind which operates effectively to stabilize or balance the vehicle in transit to assure easier riding.

An additional object of the invention is to provide a device of this general character embodying novel and improved means whereby a standard type of full elliptic spring may be employed in connection with the well-known Ford automobile.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved gear of this general character wherein is included means operating as a snubber to facilitate the riding action of the vehicle.

Furthermore, it is an object of the invention to provide a brace or reinforcing member connecting the full elliptic springs at the end of a car,said member being capable of service as a bumper.

The invention consists in the details of construction and in the combinationandarrangement of the several parts of our improved vehicle spring gear whereby certain importantadvantages are attained and the device rendered simpler, less expensive and otherwise more convenient and advantageous for use, aswill be hereinafter more fully set forth.

The novel features of our invention will hereinafter be definitely claimed.

In order that our invention may be the better understood, we will now proceed to describe the same with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure l. is a fragmentary view in perspective illustrating a, vehicle spring gear constructed in accordance-with an embodiment of our invention;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary view in perspective of the brace or stay member associated with a pair of springs, with connecting means associated therewith in separated relation;

Figure 3 is a transverse sectional View,

the structure illustrated in F igure 1;

Figure 4 is a view in perspective of one of the brackets as herein employed;

Figure 5 is a view in perspective of the plates for holding or clamping a spring to the axle;

Figure 6 is a view in perspective of on of the clamping plates as herein disclosed for attaching a spring to a bracket;

Figure 7 is a view in perspective of a shackle bolt for connecting the inner extremities of the members of a spring.

'As disclosed in the accompanying drawings, 1 denotes an end cross member conmeeting the side members 2 of the frame of an automobile chassis, said member's 1 and 2 being of a character employed in the wellknown Ford automobile. I

A bracket 3 is connected by the bolts 4 or the like with the extremity of each of the members 2, the lower portion of the bracket 3 being provided with an inclined arm 5 which underlies the adjacent portion of the cross member 1 and is bolted or otherwise secured thereto, as at 6. Y

The upper portion of the bracket 3 is provided with an outstanding plate 7 herein disclosed as substantially in the form of an equilateral triangle with its apex outwardly directed. This plate 7 is adapted to have engaged. therewith from below a central portion of the top member 8 of an elliptical spring S. Underlying said portion of the top member 8 is a second plate 9 which coacts with the plate 7 through the medium of the bolts 10 to effectively secure said top member 8 of the spring S to a side member 2.

p The plate 9 as herein disclosed, is also substantially in the form of an equilateral triangle with its apex outwardly directed and with said apex portion having intewith portions in elevation, taken through with the. depending bolt 17 integrally formed therewith and. which is insertible through the axle A and held thereto by the nut 18. Resting from above on the central part of the lower member 15 of the spring .S isthe plate 19 held in requisite clamping engagement with the member 16 by the bolts 20.. Disposed through theplates 16 and 19 and through the lower member 15 of the spring isthe spring bolt 21 for further assuring. the requisite mounting of said lower member 15.

The members 8 and 15 of the spring S are laterally. offset one. with respect to the other. The inner extremities of the membersS .and 15 of the spring S are connected in the .well-known manner by the shackle bolt 22 and is held in offset position by the holding nuts 37 while the forward end portions of said spring. members are connected by the bolt 23and arranged at opposite sides of the. collar 2stv integrally formed therewith on said bolt. Onev end portion. of the bolt 23, has a sleeve 25 provided with a forward extension 26 continued by a shank 27 adapt- ;ed towb disposed through an end portion of a brace or stay member B.

Removably engaged with the opposite end portion of thebolt'23 isa sleeve 28 which has a forwardly directed extension 29 continned bya shank 30 which is also adapted to be disposed through the brace or stay member B. The shanks. 27 and 30 when operatively engaged with thermember B extend therebeyond and have engaged with such extended portions the holding nuts 31.

The sleeve 28 is arranged outwardly of the adjacent spring section and is held in ap plied position by theholding nut 32. The brace or stay member B serves to, maintain thepair of springs S with which it is en gaged against lateral movement and otherwise effectively ma ntalns the same 1n de- SllfQCl flSSGHlblGCl P61311011,

As disclosed in the accompanying drawn ings, the member B extends outwardly beyond the springs S whereby it may also. be

employed to advantage as abumper.

Underlying the central portion of the cross, member 1 and clamped thereto, as at 1.33, is a spring member 34. This spring member 34 is of a length to have each of its end portions extend between thesections 8 and 15 of a spring S. Disposedthrough such extremity is an upstanding bolt 35 which has threaded thereon a wingnut 36 which contacts with saidextremity' of the spring member 3 1 from above. By proper manipulation of the nut 36 the tension of the spring member -3i may be adjusted as the occasions of practice may prefer.

This spring member, 34 operates effective. ly tov further absorb the shocks. imposed upon the chassis. of the vehicle incident to.

travel whereby, easy riding. is further assured. Thisspring 34 also operates ,tobalanceor stabilize the actionof the main spring S.

Our improved vehicle spring gear may be applied in working position with convenience and facility and withoutmaterial.

expense andwhen in use results in a light car such as the well-known Ford automobile to travel with substantially the same ease and comfort as. the larger cars.

Each of the plates? is also provided with an opening 38 in which isinsertible a headlight brace.

From the foregoing description it is thoughtto be obvious that a vehicle spring gearconstructed in accordance with our in-.

vention is particularly well adapted for-use byv reason of the convenience. and facility with which it maybe assembled and ,operated, and it will also be. obviousthat our;

invention. is susceptiblesof some change andmodification without departing from the principlesandspirit thereof and for this reason wedo. not wish to be understood .as limiting ourselves to the precise arrange-.. ment. and fOI1112ttlOI1- of the several parts herein shown in carrying out. our inven-,

tion in practicev except as. hereinafter claimed,

Ye 40131111 1. In combination with a vehicle frame.

and an .axle, said frame including a cross.

member, elliptical springs. interposedbe tween the frame and axle, meansforsecuring the upper membersofthe springs to,

the frame, means for, securing the lower members of thesprings to the axle, the last named means for each of the lower members comprisinga plate, an upstanding member carried by said plate, a. spring underlying the cross member, meansfor, securing the central portion of said last named spring to. the cross member, and means for com necting the plate with an extremity of the, last named spring.

2. In combination with a vehicle frame. and an axle, said frame includinga cross member, elliptical springsv interposed. be-

tween the frameand axle, means for securingthe upper members of the springs to the frame, means for securing. the. lower.

members of the springs to the axle, the last named means for each of the lower members comprising a plate, a spring underlying the cross member, means for securing the central portion of said last named spring to the cross member, an upstanding bolt carried by the plate and disposed through an extremity of the last named spring, and a member adjustably engaged with the bolt above the spring for regulating the tension 1 of said spring.

In testimony whereof we hereunto aflix our signatures.

LOUIS A. MORINES. JAMES T. HARCHARIK. 

